Coffee, as an indispensable part of modern people's lives, is not only a refreshing drink, but also a life attitude. A cup of coffee every morning has become a life ritual for many people.
However, the relationship between coffee and cancer has caused doubts among many enthusiasts. Some people say that coffee has a risk of cancer, while others say that coffee is very healthy. Which one is right?
You can rest assured that coffee itself is safe. It is even associated with a lower risk of certain cancers, such as liver cancer and colorectal cancer. For example, a study published in Epidemiology found that people who drink coffee regularly have a reduced risk of liver cancer by about 40%. Another study in the British Medical Journal found that people who drink three cups of coffee a day have a 26% lower risk of colorectal cancer.
It is currently believed that it is related to the rich antioxidants and bioactive compounds in coffee beans, which can fight free radicals, reduce inflammation, and protect cells from damage. In this regard, drinking coffee and drinking tea have the same effect.
Some people say: Isn't coffee a Class 2B carcinogen according to the World Health Organization?This is old news!More than 30 years ago, in 1991, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) under the World Health Organization did classify coffee as a Class 2B carcinogen, indicating that coffee "may be carcinogenic to humans", mainly based on the data at the time, such as the discovery that people who drink coffee frequently seem to have more bladder cancer. But later, larger-scale data found that this association does not exist. The previous relationship between coffee and bladder cancer may be due to smoking. Smokers are not so sensitive to caffeine and drink more coffee. And smoking is the main cause of bladder cancer.
In 2016, a group of experts held a special meeting on the "cancer risk of coffee". After re-evaluation, they believed that there was no sufficient evidence to show that coffee increases the risk of cancer, so they removed its Class 2B carcinogen label.
Drinking coffee may not only be beneficial for cancer prevention, but also related to better overall health. Two big data analyses in 2014 and 2015 found that people who often drink coffee have a lower overall risk of death caused by disease, and seem to help reduce the risk of diabetes, stroke, and Parkinson's.So in a word, coffee can be drunk with confidence.
By the way, here's a little-known fact: coffee is the only one of the four most addictive foods for humans that is not carcinogenic. The other three are tobacco, alcohol and betel nut, all of which are first-class carcinogens.
But everyone should note that coffee is not carcinogenic, which does not mean "drinking coffee is not carcinogenic". Nothing is absolute, and drinking coffee incorrectly can also be risky.The most important thing to pay attention to is the temperature. Drinking too hot coffee is carcinogenic!
The International Agency for Research on Cancer clearly pointed out that any hot drink with a temperature exceeding 65 degrees Celsius is a Class 2A carcinogen, which means it is likely to increase the risk of cancer, mainly esophageal cancer. One of the most common areas for esophageal cancer in China is Chaoshan, Guangdong, which is related to their love of hot Kung Fu tea and various soups. A study in Iran also proved that drinking hot tea above 65 degrees Celsius every day increases the risk of esophageal cancer by 90%.
The reason why high-temperature beverages are carcinogenic is that they damage the esophageal mucosa and cause cell necrosis. On the one hand, cell necrosis needs to be repaired, and cell division in this process increases the risk of gene mutation. On the other hand, damage can also trigger an inflammatory response, and long-term chronic inflammation can also stimulate gene mutation and immune imbalance. Therefore, if the damage is repeated and the repair is repeated, it may lead to esophageal cancer.
Both tea and coffee are healthy, but they must be cooled before drinking.
In the last lecture, a child raised his hand and asked: "Uncle Pineapple, if drinking something too hot causes cancer, can eating ice cream prevent cancer?"This is really a good idea.
Having said that, this question is somewhat related to coffee. We all know that eating ice cream is definitely unhealthy, not because of the temperature, but because of the various things added to it, such as sugar.
To make coffee the healthiest, in addition to avoiding heat, you must also avoid sugar.
Many people in China do not love to drink coffee in essence, but love to drink what is added to coffee. On the surface, they are drinking coffee, but in fact they are drinking milk tea.
Last time, I saw a buddy order a cup of Americano, but added three spoons of sugar to it, and insisted: "I drink black coffee!"
But the calories in this cup of coffee are enough to compare with a bowl of rice.
Too many additives in coffee will increase calorie and sugar intake, increase the risk of obesity and diabetes, and also increase the risk of cancer.
If you really want to be healthy, try to reduce the sugar and other additives in coffee. You can also drink milk tea, but you can't drink it every day.
In short, people who love to drink coffee don't have to worry at all. As long as you don't drink it too hot or add too much sugar, it is safe and as healthy as drinking tea.
